A beautiful location, a pleasant climate, a relaxed life-style; Auckland offers so many positives that it deserves a place on the list of the world’s best places to live.

A book of 120+ images celebrates what is the essence of Auckland: A diverse and vibrant community sharing a beautiful place to live, work and play.

I am fascinated by the drama of weather and light, and the effect it has on everything it touches. Photography for me is to capture the effects of light.

This passion for light is what inspired me to write a book titled ‘To Paint with Light‘ that starts with the effects and use of light in photography, before moving to composition, editing tools and equipment choices.

The first of three ongoing projects, ‘Conversations’ takes a look at how we converse, not (only) with words but with our whole being.

‘On the move’ reflects on how our lives seem defined by a need to be somewhere else: out in the world where ‘real things’ happen. Rushed and with clear focus, other times seemingly lost in thought.

‘Portraits’ offer a glimpse into the world of the subject without specifics or detail, but leaving it open to viewer’s interpretation. Portraiture is like poetry; the viewer is left to find their own meaning.

The 1960s saw two very different Cultural Revolutions; one in China setting strict norms and subjecting people’s individual freedom to the greater good, the other liberating people from restrictive social norms in the Netherlands and throughout the western world.

Our upbringings could not have been more different, and even after 30 years of marriage in some subtle ways these two worlds are still a part of us.

A few photos here are part of a larger series that examines the environments that shapes us.

Most of my photography is dedicated to portraits and street scenes, but living in New Zealand and travelling around the world it is impossible not to notice and be touched by the variety and beauty of landscapes. So here are a few of my favourites.